Infinite Stratos: For Answer
by Demons Anarchy of Pride
Summary: A monster that revived a dying world now rests in the world where only women can pilot powerful weapons, which are, more or less, smaller versions of AC's. Every girl at the school he is at wants to get know him better, and it does not help the fact that he's supposed to be one of the only two boys who can pilot an IS. Sometimes, it just sucks to be Strayed, doesn't it?
1. Phase 1

**Infinite Stratos: For Answer**

**_Phase One: Morality and Advent_**

_Armored Core..._

_The name given to the behemoths of the battlefield, the metal demons that struck fear into the hearts of all those that laid eyes on it. Years went by, and the people that piloted these machines grew not just as pilots, but also as human beings._

_Wars were waged against man themselves, but Armored Cores were always used, ending those petty wars. However, in time, they proved to be the undoing. The world had become decrepit and decayed, and mankind on the brink of extinction. Two government fractions, ORCA and The League, came into being, both with different views on the state of the world._

_The League believed that mankind should turn away from Mother Earth, and take flight to space, where they could finally forget the mistakes that were created by their own foolishness. However, ORCA believed that man should face their judgement, and stay on Earth. They were also frustrated, for only those in society could ascend to the skies, in the safe havens known as Cradles._

_Eventually, a time period known as the Ecological War began. Armored Core pilots, known as Lynx, began acting as mercenaries for these groups. However, one pilot, who was equally as skilled as the Raven, took neither side, and made it his mission to prove to humanity that they could undo this mistake of theirs._

_No one knew his name, or where he came from. They only knew him... as the Strayed._

* * *

(Cradle O3, Near the End of Destruction)

Strayed didn't know how he should feel. Relieved that this would come to an end, angered at the fact that his dearest friend had stood against him, or that he was saddened at the death of the one person who understood him the most. Wreckages of various AC's were all over, save one that was heavily damaged. It lacked a left leg, and most of the right arm was charred and ruined.

This was the AC that Kusami used, his dearest friend... the one that stood against him. He knew it would come to this, he had made his decision, but even still, it hurt him knowing things had gone this way.

"**H-hah..."** Kasumi said, her voice weak and heavy over the COM-LINK. **"I guess... you were stronger than him..."**

Strayed didn't say anything, but he took a look back at the cradle. This was the last one, this would be the final cradle. Him and the Old King had laid waste to all the others before this, he didn't know why, but it felt right, somehow. The screams of innocent people rung back in his ears, but that didn't do anything to stop him.

That didn't mean it would haunt him for the rest of his wretched life. Looking back at the ruined AC, Strayed knew that he wouldn't want her to be caught up in the aftermath of this decision. His AC grabbed Kasumi's ruined machine, and slowly began to fly into the air, and just as slowly descended back to the ground.

"**What... are you..."** Kasumi tried to breathe over the intercom. They were over 300 meters in the air, but Strayed had no intention of stopping now.

"Kasumi..." he finally said at last, his voice sounded so cold, yet so gentle underneath all of that death and destruction that still lingered around him. "Can you hear me?"

"**Aren't you... going to kill me...?"** Kasumi coughed. **"I did try to kill you... after all..."**

Strayed look back down at the floor of the cockpit, his bangs covering his eyes. "I'm just... tired of it all." he said, his hands trembling slightly. "Tired of all this pointless death... It's been following me ever since I first joined the Ravens. It wouldn't leave me alone, whether I was inside an AC or not. I guess this is what they mean by 'karma's a bitch'..."

"**What does... that mean...?"** Kasumi asked, anger evident her voice. Strayed didn't blame her, after all this was how he turned out. No, this is what he had always been. A killer, a destroyer, a demon, a monster in human skin. **"Tired of it all... That doesn't..."**

"Yeah, I know..." Strayed answered her. "But, if there is one thing I have learned, Kasumi... It's that, with Death, all things are forgiven." He didn't miss the small, weak gasp that came over the COM-LINK. "This is the last time we'll see each other. You follow the path you believe in, and I... I will follow this path, all the way to the very end."

"**Y-you can't be..."** Kasumi's voice had become higher, now in panic. **"What are you doing?"**

Strayed didn't answer, as the AC finally laid its feet upon the ground. Strangely, it was calm and peaceful, far away from anything that had stretched so far and corroding Mother Nature with its poison. Then, finally he answered in a grave tone, as if he were speaking at his own funeral. "I'm going to initiate the Infinite Stratos System."

"**N-no, you..."** Another coughing fit. **"You can't do that! You'll-"**

"I told you already, Kasumi..." Strayed smiled thinly, looking at the video feed displayed on the monitor, showing Kasumi who looked horrified by his words. "This... is my 'Answer'. You already have an 'Answer' of your own."

"**But this..."** Kasumi sobbed, tears flowing down her eyes as she glared in both hate and sadness. **"You planned this all along, didn't you? You planned on using that from the very beginning!"** she accused him. **"Answer me, dammit!"**

Strayed didn't answer her as his AC began to ascend quickly back up, the thruster input at 100%. Then, he showed a small, yet grateful smile to her, to the woman who had brought both joy and life to him, no matter how short a time they spent together. "Kasumi... I'm sorry for everything, and I hope that one day, in the next life, I can say what I couldn't tell you until now..."

"**W-what are you talking about, you stupid moron?"** Kasumi screamed at him through the monitor.

"Kasumi..." Strayed gave his final words of departing to her, though the screaming winds blocked out his words. Kasumi, however, heard his words, and her eyes were wide, tears streaming down her face. This was the last thing he saw before he shut off the video feed, and began inputting new commands. "Activate the Infinite Stratos System."

"_Warning, voice command authorization required"_ was the immediate answer from the AC system that belonged to his old friend from years ago.

"Voice command authorization..." Strayed stated with a determined look in his eyes, which burned brighter than any flames that had existed before. "_Sins sub Homine_."

"_Voice Command Code recognized."_ the AI said in her robotic voice, a countdown timer appearing on the lower right corner of the monitor. _"Infinite Stratos will be engaged in T-minus 3 minutes."_

The moment Strayed's AC landed back once again on Cradle 03, he encountered resistance from AC drones, all of them equipped with heavy duty artillery, and even a few 2nd Generation AC's. Strayed gave a sheepish chuckle before he loaded the assault rifle into the hands of his AC, or rather, the AC that was given to him by his dearest friend.

"So... this is it for us, huh... White Glint." Strayed said with a nostalgic feeling swelling up in him as he began the futile struggle, destroying the drones and tackling the AC's head on, outmaneuvering them quickly with pure speed and fluid mobility. He took a look at the countdown.

00:02:42

White Glint wasn't his, in fact Strayed had said this to Kasumi when he was given the AC that it would never be his. His good friend, the one he had trusted more than anyone, had saved his life in this AC on more than one occasion.

'_It's weird, now that I think about it...'_ Strayed began to think as White Glint began its assault once again, destroying drone after drone. Already, in less than 40 seconds, did several heaps of machines join the four AC's that had been destroyed before this.

00:01:59

'_No matter what machine you're in, you'll always be forced to kill and kill. You're no better than a killer...'_ White Glint took to the skies as new enemies, all 3rd Generation AC's, appeared with heavy duty weapons. Two were Heavyweights, and the last was a Middleweight. Strayed couldn't help but let out a wry smile as he gave a solemn laugh. _'I think I'm beginning to understand you better, Rave... On how you felt whenever we were done completing a mission.'_

The white AC dodged the bullets magnificently as if it were dancing, its assault rifle on its last rounds. The middleweight tried to cut it in half with its laser blade, but it did was useless as White Glint maneuvered behind it, and rammed the assault rifle into its back before pulling the trigger. Streams of light and bullets ripped through its chest, the enemy AC becoming limp as it began to fall to the earth.

00:01:11

The two Heavyweights rammed their bodies into him at once, sending White Glint back down to the cradle. Strayed, however, was not just some amateur Lynx as he quickly controlled White Glint and landed harshly on its feet, the steel ground he stood on gaining two large dents. _'This... is my 'Answer' for all that I have done...'_ Strayed thought as he looked at the time limit on the monitor. The two Heavyweights landed back down, one behind him and the other out in front, both of them using laser blades. _'Well, time to finish this...'_

00:00:30

White Glint tossed his assault rifle away, much to the surprise of the two Heavyweight AC's. However, they took this as a sign of surrender, and fired up their thrusters, blades at the ready. They had failed to notice that the shining bluish green eyes of White Glint had become hidden behind a steel visor, and small piston-like abrasions began to pop out from various portions of its body.

Strayed let go of the controls, and laid back in the seat, his eyes staring up listlessly at the ceiling of the cockpit. "No famous last words for this old beggar..." he joked to no one in particular before he slowly closed his eyes.

00:00:00

"_Countdown ended."_ White Glint's AI spoke clearly, yet to Strayed it sounded like she was so far away, as he slowly began to lose consciousness.

"_Infinite Stratos System initiated. Beginning RE-Vival."_

And then, to all those on dying Mother Earth, even Kasumi who stood on top her ruined AC, the last known ignorant sanctuary was engulfed in a bright green light that continued to expand, growing ever larger until it was like a green sun, the Cradle having been completely engulfed. Kasumi couldn't stop her tears from flowing as she wrapped her arms around her shaking frame. "Strayed..." she sobbed, her knees falling to the metal ground beneath her.

The light didn't grow, but it didn't shrink either. It shined brightly like a star, however after a good three minutes, the light began to shed away, pieces of green falling to the ground. It was then that the people had seen a miracle, as when that single piece of light touched the rotten earth, the soil it grazed glowed brightly, a familiar yet rare sight began sprouting upward.

"W-what the heck is going on?" an ORCA member said, his eyes unable to look away. Each shed of light that touched the ground had begun to bring back life, and the light that expanded each time from the spot the shed touched only grew, slowly covering the Earth. "What happened?"

Kasumi thought it was beautiful. "So this..." she said to herself, wiping away her tears even though they streamed down her cheek. "Is your 'Answer'? To bring back the life we destroyed?"

* * *

_Within time, the dying Earth, which had been decrepit and decaying for years because of the power of Armored Cores, would soon no longer have to be afraid of their power. All of this was because of the power of a system feature known as "RE-Vival", something more powerful than even the Answerer._

_Though some still thought Strayed to be someone who had slaughtered thousands, they couldn't have been more wrong. He knew full well his actions, and he had take responsibility for them by taking his own life, and the last of the Cradles. In his destruction came a second chance for Mother Earth, one that was done in by his hands, and his alone._

_The year is 21XX, and by now, over half of the Earth has been revitalized. Scientists dedicated their lives to restoring the Earth, and making use of the mysterious core that was used in White Glint, the AC piloted by both by the former Raven and Strayed. These cores were mass-produced, and thanks to this, the Fifth Generation Armored Core came into being, thus preserving the new life granted to us. Scientists also dedicated themselves and their newfound research, provided by Strayed's former operator Kasumi, to reviving the rest of the Earth._

_It would be another ten years before a new government was formed, and with it, a new era... and a new war. But, like all wars, a new hero would come to pass, one with a powerful AC, and skills without equal. The name of this pilot? Well, that would be a spoiler..._

_For our story does not follow this era, nor in this world. Rather, ours takes us to a new world, one where Armored Cores, ORCA, or The League, exist._

_The year is 2045, and mankind has reached the height of the Industrial Revolution. Humanoid machines, known as Infinite Stratos, were designed in hopes they could one day reach the unknown frontier known as space. However, out of 7 billion people on Earth, only females were able to pilot an Infinite Stratos, or an IS for short. The first known IS was an unknown machine, designed specifically for combat purposes. An unknown hacker infiltrated the government's database, and launched several ballistic missiles, all of them aimed directly at Japan._

_These missiles were destroyed by the IS. The government, after seeing the overwhelming power of the IS, deemed it too dangerous, and tried to destroy their own creation. However, there was nothing that could bring it down. Several Air Force planes, sea vessels, and even tanks were destroyed, yet strangely, no human lives were lost._

_In the end, the IS was left standing, yet it soon disappeared. It was later declared that an IS would not be allowed for use in the military, rather only for data collecting and sports purposes only. Currently, there is only one school that teaches women how to control an IS, which is located in Japan. The creator of the IS, and its mysterious source, known as the IS Core, Tabane Shinonono, created 467 IS Cores in total, yet for some unknown reason, she refused to create any more. She has become the most wanted person in the world, and yet no one has ever found her._

_Our story follows two boys, both the only men in the world able to control an IS. One is Ichika Orimura, the younger brother of Japan's Candidate Representative, Chifuyu Orimura, otherwise known as the "She-Demon". The other is a young man, who hails not from the world of the Infinite Stratos..._

_Rather, he comes from the world that was once besieged in ruin... the world of the Armored Core._

* * *

(IS Academy, Hangar Docking Bay)

Chifuyu Orimura was a beautiful woman, and was very popular. She stood at '5, 9" ft tall with dark hair tied back into a ponytail, her bangs parted yet mostly swept to the right, her expression always stern and her eyes equally as fierce. One would normally see her in a white track suit with red strips along the arms and legs, or when in class, a business-like suit colored black with a buttoned shirt beneath it, along with the trademark black tie. Due to her stern, stoic, cold, and terrifying personality, she is currently single, has no love life at all, and has no interest in such. If one wanted to get closer to her, they would have to have her interest, would have to be at least cute or something among the lines of 'handsome' or 'beautiful' (she hated when someone used the word 'hot'), and lastly, they would have to be quite skilled.

The person who was residing in the infirmary had her interest, as did the strange Infinite Stratos unit that sat on an iron table. It was currently being heavily analyzed, its information completely secret from them. Currently working on this was a young woman with green hair, wearing a yellow-buttoned shirt with short sleeves and a pink undershirt, complete with a black skirt. Her eyes were narrowed while her fingers flied across the keyboard, but each time she typed in something, the same words would appear on the monitor.

**Access Denied**

Maya Yamada sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose while Chifuyu crossed her arms over her chest, glaring intently at the IS. It was heavily similar to the White Knight and the IS she used years ago, Byakushiki. It was colored completely white with full body armor, even on the joins. It carried two long white cylinders at the back alongside a pair of thrusters. It also lacked the beast-like claws that most IS had, rather this one had human-shaped robotic hands, and it possessed a helmet with a pale visor.

"Still can't get into it?" Chifuyu asked, out of habit she began tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm surprised you haven't cracked into it yet."

"Well, this IS seems to be built with some sort of heavy encryption and a very complex algorithm. It would probably take me several months before I could find a way around all of that, but even then, I don't think I could get much information off of it." Maya said in defeat, reclining in her chair with a sigh before looking back at the IS. "Still, it looks so much like the White Knight and Byakushiki, yet still so different. Its very beautiful, though..."

Chifuyu smiled slightly before looking back. "So, what about the core? Do we have anything on that?" she asked curiously. Maya began typing again, and soon an image of the IS was shown on the screen with a sphere-shaped object on the right side of the monitor. Maya shifted the screen so Chifuyu could see it. Normally, an IS would have a black glowing core with a frame around it, however this one was completely different. It had a core, but it was glowing white without a frame, instead it had glowing blue roads, ones you would normally see on microchips and data disks, leading all around it and into the core.

"We have no idea what powers it, or what it's made of. What I can tell you that is has an unlimited power source, and an unusually powerful energy shield." Maya explained with her rare, ever serious look. "If it came head to head with a 3rd Generation IS with the state of the art equipment, it would be able to take some heavy damage from it, and it's shield would still be up around 90%!"

Chifuyu didn't show it, but she was surprised, and once again looked at the IS, which, according to what little data they could gather, was called "White Glint". Just where in the world could that boy have gotten an IS like this? Sighing, she shook her head before she spun around on her heel and made her way to the door.

Maya frowned as she lifted herself up from the chair and turned off the screen. "Are you going to go see the boy?" she asked with a look of worry splashed over her face. "Actually, how is he?"

"He has a few minor injuries, and his right eye looks like it's been through hell, but other than that, he's perfectly fine... At least he better be." Chifuyu said with a fierce expression as she and Maya exited the room and entered the hallway, leading into the academy. _'A second boy that is capable of flying an IS...'_ she thought, trying to think of all the possible variables and possibilities as to who the boy was or what country he belonged to. _'Just who exactly is he? And where on Earth did he get such an advanced IS?'_

* * *

(IS Academy Infirmary)

The infirmary wasn't very excited, but neither was it bleak with the familiar white curtains and the open windows and the always-present "Get Well!" cards at the bedside table. However, currently, the infirmary was housing only a single occupant. Normally, it would be a faculty member, a man in charge of history lessons or the mechanics behind the IS, or a girl who screwed up in school either in the hallway or during practical training.

But this was neither the case. The occupant was a boy, and a very handsome looking one at that. He looked no older than 16, some bandages along his small frame which was covered in gray and white medical scrubs, but he was mostly wrapped around the head with his right eye covered. He had dark gray colored hair, almost the color of polished steel, which covered most of his bandaged right eye, and gently brushed against his shoulders.

A soft groan came from him, and later, his body began to stir. Slowly, his left eye opened, revealing soulful, yet calm red eyes with seemingly gleaming pink rings near the end of the iris and near the pupil. At first, he had no idea what to say when he woke up, nor did he think of anything other than _'Where am I?'_

Unconsciously, his hand moved up from the bed sheets to touch the bandages, yet as soon as he did, the hand recoiled, as if afraid. "What's..." the young boy muttered as his hand got over the shock, and placed itself over his covered right eye. "...going on? Where..." he looked around, seeing only the door and the white flowing covers that hung on the metal racks. "...am I?"

That was when the door opened to reveal two people, both female. Instinct told him to not trust them, learn what their intentions were, and watch their moves carefully. It was clear that he remembered ways of how to tell enemy and ally apart. "So, you're finally awake, are you?" the fierce looking woman said as she leaned against the wall beside his place of residence while the gentle looking woman with the glasses sat down beside him with her hands on her laps. "Now, I won't beat around the bush. Where did you get that IS? How did you get here in the first place?"

"M-Miss Orimura..." the other woman said, sweat dropping at how serious she was and waved her hands at the boy. "I'm very sorry about that!" The boy tilted his head, confused as he slowly sat up with his left arm supporting him. "Oh, my name is Maya Yamada, and this is Miss Chifuyu Orimura."

"Answer the question already, young man, before you force me to beat it out of you." Chifuyu said almost immediately after Maya introduced themselves. Maya began to panic for the boy's safety, yet he looked down at his right hand, which lay unmoving on his lap.

It was then that they heard him mutter something. "I wanna know that, too..." Chifuyu frowned while Maya looked worried by the young man's attitude. He looked up at them with a pleading look, almost desperate. "Please, tell me... Who am I? What am I doing here? What is this place? Who are you people? And what's going on?"

Maya gasped, her hands over her mouth while her eyes were wide, while Chifuyu's scowl deepened, the grip around her elbows tightened. It was clear that he wasn't lying, what he was saying was the God's honest truth.

He didn't remember anything about himself, not even his own name. All anyone knew was that he was the second male pilot of an IS, one that was technologically more advanced than all the others.

And, though no one knew this, he was about to rock the world of the Infinite Stratos.

_End of Phase 1_

**Girl 1:** Hey, did you hear?

**Girl 2: **Hear what? About that cat that somehow managed to sneak into the classroom?

**Girl 3:** No, it was probably about that rumor that Miss Yamada has a crush on someone!

**Girl 1:** No, supposedly there's going to be two boys attending the academy!

**Girl 2:** No way, really?!

**Girl 3:** Oh, I hope they're both really cute!

**All:** Next time, on Infinite Stratos: For Answer!

**Girl 2:** Phase 2: Morality and Requiem!

**Girl 3:** Oh, this is going to be so exciting!

_IS Technical Report:_

**IS Name:** White Glint

**Generation/Type:** Armored Core Unit, X-Generation

**Type:** All Rounder

**Known Pilot:** Strayed, Anatolia's Mercenary (unnamed pilot, presumed to be male)

**IS Color:** White

**Notable Features:** Primal Armor, Assault Armor, and Phase Shift

**IS Core:** Kojima Reactor IS Core

**Background Information:** Upon being transported to another world through the use of the Infinite Stratos system, White Glint has taken on another form, though its appearance has hardly changed. It is the strongest IS currently, and is vastly superior, even to 3rd Generations such as Blue Tears. It has various weapons, including twin assault rifles, a laser blade, electro-mines, and other pieces of equipment. Because of its pure speed and power, it has been nicknamed by both Chifuyu and Laura as the "White Devil" (in reference to the nickname of the Gundams).

**Weapons:** Twin 500 round Assault Rifles, 20 round Sniper Rifle, Particle Accelerator Laser Blade, Electromagnetic-Field Mines, Kusanagi (added by Chifuyu)

**Default Setting:** While in the Default Setting, White Glint resembles Blue Tears only with a white color scheme, lacking the skirt armor, bits, and missile launchers at the hips. It has two large white cylinder-shaped objects on its back, which allow it to move at the same speed as the Byakushiki, alongside the thrusters placed beside it, and a white metal piece covers the jaw line.

**First Shift:** In its First Shift Phase, it takes on its original appearance, only it lacks the mechanical pieces where the joints are located, but other than that, it has an AC/IS appearance. It also automatically carries its twin assault rifles, with the laser blade located at the left shoulder.

**Second Shift:** Otherwise known to Strayed and Ichika as the "Phase Shift" stage. While in this state, the blue visor is shielded by metal plating, and small boosters are pushed up. With Primal Armor engaged, a strange green glow (Kojima Energy) covers White Glint's body, and any damage it sustains is drastically reduced, able to go head to head with even the Valkyrie system engaged. However, while the Assault Armor is engaged, green particles (Kojima Particles) flow out from the boosters, and in the next second, everything within 3 meters is torn to shreds, save any IS with 300 Shield Energy or higher remaining. Afterwards, White Glint's Shield Energy is drastically reduced, and Primal Armor cannot be used for 10 minutes.

_Pilot Report:_

**Name: **Strayed Yamada

**Age:** 16

**Height:** '5, 10" ft

**Weight:** Unknown

**Hair Color:** Dark Gray

**Eye Color:** Red

**Gender:** Male

**Blood Type:** AB+

**Place of Birth:** New York City, United States

**Date of Birth:** 2008, Ninth of April

**Background info:** Strayed Yamada is the blood relative of Maya Yamada, a former JP Representative, born in America where he studied abroad. His parents were almost always away at work, leaving him by himself on multiple occasions. At the age of fifteen, he graduated high school at the top of his class, and would have entered college if not for an accident, which had wiped out most of his memory. The details behind the accident are currently unknown, as is the circumstances behind how he came to acquire and pilot a personal IS. The details behind this IS, as well as the core itself, are unknown, but according to the information from the IS's database, it is powered by a Kojima Reactor IS Core, which supplies it with an infinite supply of power.


	2. Chapter 2

**Infinite Stratos: For Answer**

_**Phase Two: Morality and Requiem**_

_The Infinite Stratos..._

_A machine that was built over several years ago, with the intent to one day fly high into the unknown, unexplored, and ever-expanding region of the world known as space. Developed by the world's most brilliant scientist, Tabane Shinonono, it was designed simply as a suit. However, simply testing and gathering data through simulations wasn't enough to show the world how useful, as well as powerful, the IS could be._

_In order to gather field data, Shinonono hacked into the government's database and launched several ballistic missiles at the capital of Japan. However, as she had hoped, the first developed IS had destroyed the missiles without incident, but this display showed the military how powerful, as well as dangerous, the machine was. Several attempts were made to either destroy or capture the IS, but all efforts failed. The pilot was without face nor name, even to this day, but the IS, due to its form and power, had been given the name "White Knight"._

_Due to the powerful nature of the IS, all nations agreed that it would be too powerful, and so came the Alaska Treaty, where the use of an IS in any and all things related to war were prohibited. As such, the IS became a tool for sport and construction, and Japan was the only country that had a school built for the purpose of teaching future generation pilots how to operate, and one day take their IS to the skies. However, there were two problems to this regard._

_The first was that Tabane Shinonono had only developed 467 IS Cores, and had refused to make any more. The second was nothing but a side effect of the machine's creation, yet it still had a heavy impact on the world... the IS could only be piloted by females. The IS Academy was built for the purpose of teaching these youths not to misuse their newfound gift, however some of the students at this prestigious school were selected by their respective countries as candidate representatives, each given their own personal IS._

_However, as fate would have, the world will soon learn the existence of only a single male that is capable of piloting an IS. The name of this young man... is Ichika Orimura._

* * *

(IS Academy, School Gates)

To say that Ichika was nervous would be an understatement. His body was shaking, his hands trembling, and beads of sweat rolling down his face. "I can't believe this is happening to me..." Ichika muttered to himself as he refused to move from his spot. He was fairly tall, just a tad bit shorter than his sister, the "She-Demon" Chifuyu, but one could tell the two were related by their hair color. Ichika possessed a dark mane of hair that was swept to the right and had dull red eyes, wearing one of the few uniforms of the IS Academy that had actual pants.

Ichika didn't even know where to begin on how this all started. He had gotten lost when looking for the exam room for his desired high school, a private academy with a full leap on a scholarship, however he had somehow gotten lost, and the bogus directions he got didn't help much either. It was then that he saw a "PERSONAL ONLY" metal door, and would have left it alone and continued his search for the exam room...

But there was that feeling he got. That strange, nostalgic feeling he had that seemed to nudge at him from inside, as if there was something there that was calling out to him. Against better judgment and common sense, he entered, and there it stood, the IS that he had laid eyes on for the very first time. He couldn't help it, the feeling he got was stronger and stronger by the second, and before he had even realized it, he was already in front of it. When his fingers touched the smooth metal chest plating, he felt something 'spark' from the touch, and then the IS flared to life. He didn't remember much after what happened next, but he did recall it being pretty hectic, after being hounded by various news reporters that wanted a scoop on the only guy capable of flying an IS, and even from the government.

And that was when his sister gave him a phone call one day, telling him that she had a brilliant idea. And it involved him, attending an ALL-GIRLS school. Steeling himself for the looks he would receive, Ichika sighed and slapped his face before adopting a serious expression. "Well, let's get this over with. The sooner I'm done here, the better."

And with that, he took his first step into the academy, unaware of the hectic life that would await him.

* * *

(IS Academy, Infirmary)

"Well, it all checks out..." the school nurse sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at the two teachers with a plain look. "He's telling the truth. Other than his name and the phrase "Armored Core", he doesn't remember jack squat, not even as to how he got here."

Chifuyu sighed in irritation, shaking her head with her hands on her hips. Today was supposed to be easy, just get class done and over with, lead the freshman class to their dorms, and look after her younger brother who would be attending here, away from the news hounds (and possibly away from the nutjob by the name of Tabane Shinonono). However, as fate would have it, that wishful thinking was shattered when a sixteen year old kid comes down falling form the sky, falling into an IS Arena before school even got started, and even better yet, he was flying an IS that was more technologically advanced than any other IS on the face of the planet.

"Sooo..." the doctor said with a curious look. "Mind explaining to me why we now have two boys at this school that can pilot an IS?"

Maya sighed at her question and shook her head. "Unfortunately, we have no idea either." she admitted before clasping her hands together, looking at the young man who sat on the same bed with a miserable expression. "Still, its so sad..."

"Do we know what caused the amnesia?" Chifuyu asked in a business-like manner. "Any sort of trauma, or head injury? What?"

The doctor shook her head, handing Chifuyu the medical board. "None of them I'm afraid. The cause is unknown, and well, since head case over there doesn't know himself, we've got no idea."

Chifuyu hid her scowl, handing the clipboard back to the nurse. "So... what's his name?"

For some reason, the nurse giggled before waggling her finger. "His name is Strayed."

"Strayed?" Maya frowned. "What a strange name."

"On that, I agree. But, its rather cute and fitting, wouldn't you agree?" the nurse asked playfully before looking at Chifuyu with an expectant look. "So, what are we gonna do with him? Toss him out when he's fully healed, or have him enroll here with no idea if he's with some crime organization or whatever?"

"You've been watching too many action movies, Sumia." Chifuyu replied before crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the boy. He seemed to have noticed this and looked up, tilting his head in confusion. "Strayed, come over here for a moment."

Strayed nodded and tossed the covers off of him, leaping off the bed. The scrubs reached above his ankles and the top was just a t-shirt with a low collar. Bandages were wrapped around his right elbow, most of his right foot, and on all around his left forearm. "What is it, miss Orimura?"

The nurse and Maya giggled when she saw Chifuyu's face turning slightly red from how he addressed her. However, her voice was clear and sharp. "Once you've fully healed, you will have two choices. The first choice is that you leave, and risk the government learning about you." Chifuyu stated, holding up one finger. "The second is that you attend the academy as a student for the next three years."

Strayed frowned, giving off that "bishonen" look that girls such as the nurse and Maya fell head over heels for. "A student?"

Maya nodded and began to explain. "You see, IS Academy is a both a school and a training facility for those that can pilot an Infinite Stratos, or an IS for short. In addition to that, countries will select candidate representatives to gather data on their personal IS units, each of them unique and specializing in different fields. If you decide to stay here, you can use the IS we found you in!"

At first, Strayed didn't say anything, his head was low and his bangs hid his only visible eye. It was a while before he gave a sigh and looked back at them. "Do I really have much of a choice?"

Chifuyu smiled thinly. "Good. Just so you know, so long as you're a student here, the government is unable to interfere with you, nor any of the students in IS Academy." she said before looking at Maya. "Miss Yamada, please get our new student his ID Card and uniform."

"What?" Maya replied in surprise. "B-but, Strayed isn't healed yet! And besides, we have no idea what country he belongs to or what family he has!"

"Then just register him as Strayed Yamada, a family relative or a cousin or something." Chifuyu shrugged her shoulders; the way she made it sound was if she thought it to be easy. "I'm sure you can swing it."

"And what about his nationality?" the nurse asked with a raised eyebrow, and received an immediate answer.

"A Representative Candidate of the United States."

Strayed didn't say anything, his mind seemed to be clicking its gears into place. Something just didn't seem right with him. All this talk of IS, Representatives and whatnot... And there was something else bothering him. Strayed was a weird name, he would admit that, but what about this Armored Core thing he remembered? Maybe it was another name for an IS?

He went back to reality to see the nurse smiling mischievously. "Two boys attending an all-girls school... Lucky you."

...What did she just say? "I'm sorry, but did you just say that this is an all-girls school?"

Chifuyu answered him as if it were second nature. "Yes, IS Academy's students, save you and my brother, who will be attending here as well, are all girls, mostly due to the fact that IS can only be piloted by women."

Strayed's eyes widened at that. "WHAT?!" he had all but shouted, completely shocked by this. "How is that-I mean, that's-I don't know what-gah...!" he tried to form words of reason, but nothing came up. The nurse giggled at this while Chifuyu gave a sigh of exasperation. There was a lot of sighs going around today.

"This ought to be a fun year..."

* * *

(IS Academy, 1-1 Classroom)

"This is... way harder than I thought..."

Ichika never imagined being the center of attention, or anything akin to that. However, as of today, he knew how the celebrities felt when they made their debut when all eyes were on them. Every single person in his class was a girl, some attractive and others downright beautiful, and thankfully one of them was his childhood friend Houki! However, the sad part about this situation was that everyone was staring at him.

Then again, he really couldn't blame them. He was the only guy at this school, as well as the only male capable of piloting an IS. As the stares were beginning to grow painful, the door opened to reveal their teacher, or at least that was what Ichika thought. She was young (and kind of cute too) with short green hair, wearing a short sleeved yellow jacket with a pink shirt underneath, alongside a dark brown skirt. The round glasses over her eyes also gave her that strange appeal.

"Hello everyone, my name is Maya Yamada, and I will be the assistant teacher for your homeroom!" the woman greeted with a large smile. "I am pleased to meet you all! Your teacher will be arriving shortly, along with a last minute student!"

Ichika caught that last part, and looked confused. "Last minute student?" he repeated. "I wonder if they just signed up..."

"Now then, before we get class started, let's take roll!" Maya announced as she swiped her finger across the blue holoboard. As her eyes went down the list, Ichika was deep in thought. _'I wonder how it is I got mixed into this... I should have never touched that stupid IS in the first place! What was I even thinking?! Still, I guess this isn't all that bad, considering I get to meet Houki again, but...'_ he turned his eyes to his childhood friend, who sat at the very end on the left-hand side. Houki was a beautiful girl, Ichika was not willing to deny that, and still possessed her trademark brown ponytail with a green ribbon keeping it in place.

He was hoping that she would offer words of encouragement, but instead all he got was a "hmph" as she turned away. Ichika hung his head low in defeat with a miniature cloud hanging over him. _'It's like she hates me...'_

"Orimura? Orimura!" Maya's voice rung out to him. Ichika immediately shot out his seat, his body straight as an arrow before realizing that it was the teacher. "Sorry about that, but we just got done with the M's and now we're in the O's. Can you please introduce yourself?"

"Uh, s-sure..." he stuttered, looking over his shoulder, and in the next second, he shivered. _'They have the eyes of a predator!'_ he screamed in his head before looking back at the board. _'Okay, stay calm Ichika! You can do this! Just... DON'T SCREW THIS UP!'_

"I-I'm..." he began slowly, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Ichika Orimura..." Taking another glance behind him, the girls still had their previous expression, only now they were leaning in closer. _'Oh, great! Come on, say something else!'_

Before he could, however, the door slid open again. Ichika blinked and turned his head, seeing none other than his older sister standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, giving her usual poker face and stoic glare that made you squirm on the inside. "S-sis?"

And then came down the book. "OW!" Ichika was now in his seat, holding his head, which had now adopted a large, pulsing red, bump the size of a baseball. Chifuyu tapped the book on her shoulder, however most of the class thought as to where she had that. "While we're in class, Ichika Orimura, you are to address me as Miss Orimura, are we clear?" she asked with a rather intimidating tone.

"Y-yes, Miss Orimura..." Ichika said, anime tears falling down his face while Houki hid her giggle quite well. _'Same old moronic Ichika...'_

Chifuyu gave a brief shake of the head before she turned to face the entire class. "Now, listen up! I'm your homeroom teacher, Chifuyu Orimura, and from this day on, this class is going to become your own personal Hell, you understand?!" she yelled as if she were defying a ruthless dictator.

Ichika had to shield his ears from the glass-shattering screams of the girls around him (save Houki who understood how terrifying Chifuyu could be) as they looked at his sister with stars in their eyes.

"Oh my God, it's really her!"

"Miss Orimura, please, scold us more!"

"You're the only reason I joined this school!"

Chifuyu sweat dropped, sighing as she ran her hand down her face. "Why is it that they always stick me with the weirdoes?" she muttered to herself while Maya giggled. It was after the class had mostly calmed down that Maya remembered something and handed a card to Chifuyu. "Oh, right. *clears throat* I'm sure Miss Yamada has told you already, but we have a last minute addition to this class."

She turned to the door and nodded. The person stepping had everyone's attention, including Ichika's and Houki's. It wasn't a girl, rather it was another boy with dark gray hair that covered his right eye and reached down to the collar of his blazer, which was hidden behind bandages. His eyes were dull red, and his hands in his pockets. "This is Strayed Yamada." Chifuyu informed them with her usual stern expression, ignoring the look of shock all over the class, but noticed the relieved look on Ichika's face. "Until recently, he's been living in America with his parents, and happens to be Miss Yamada's cousin. He is also the U.S.'s Representative Candidate."

Now that had the entire class' attention, especially the student who sat at the corner of the classroom. She was young and beautiful with blonde hair spiraled down with a blue hairband, keeping her mane in check, and bore deep blue eyes. This was Cecile Alcott, the Representative Candidate for England, and pilot of the IS Blue Tears. She was looking at the boy up and down, both in intrigue and curiosity. _'He's covered in bandages, and he's also a Representative...'_ she thought, crossing her arms over her chest. _'I wonder...'_

Chifuyu slipped something into his pocket, which went unnoticed by everyone, and turned back to the class. "Strayed, you'll be sitting next to Mr. Orimura over here." Ichika raised his hand, a small smile on his face. Strayed nodded and bowed before the class, giving a brief "Nice to meet you all" before taking his seat.

There were several whispers among the class, as well as several stares at the young boy. "Wow, he's a Representative Candidate?" a girl whispered to her friend, who looked equally as interested.

"I wonder what happened to him..." another wondered, a finger on her cheek with a thoughtful look on her face. "He looks pretty banged up."

"You think he was in a fight?"

"It can't be. I mean he's Miss Yamada's relative, right? Besides, he looks harmless enough!"

"That, and he looks veeeeery mysterious..." a random girl giggled, to which the others followed suit. "Wow, two boys already! This is going to be a great year!"

"Nice to meet you." Ichika introduced himself, offering his hand. Strayed look surprised at his gesture, looking at the hand, and the back at Ichika. "I'm Ichika Orimura. Nice to know I'm not the only guy here..."

Strayed looked perplexed before giving a small smile, shaking his hand. "Likewise..."

* * *

(Time Skip, Lunch Period)

"Look, I told you I wasn't seeing things!"

"Wow, there are really guys here?"

"They're the only boys that can pilot an IS!"

"That one with the gray hair looks sooo mysterious!"

"Yeah, and that Ichika isn't all that bad himself!"

Strayed had heard all of this, and couldn't help but frown, looking at the door that had several girls pressing up against it. "What has them so excited?" he asked, confused by their curiosity. Ichika rubbed the nape of his neck, chuckling as he explained it. "Its 'cause we're the only two dudes that can pilot an IS. By the way, you're from America, right?"

Strayed nodded, his poker face already on. "Yeah, but this is my first time in Japan, though..."

"Wow, really?" Ichika said, surprised. "Still, hate to ask this, but what the heck happened to you? It looks like you went through the meat grinder!"

"Ah..." Strayed hesitated at first, feigning the 'painful past' look he had learned somehow from his lost memories before answering. "I... don't know. The accident took out most of my memory."

"Wait, you have amnesia?"

"Yes."

"Crap, that's gotta suck..." Ichika sighed before smiling again. "Well, you know what they say. No use crying over spilled milk! So what if you have amnesia? Don't remember anything? Then make new memories!"

Strayed's eyes widened, looking at Ichika. Somehow or another, he reminded him of someone in the past, someone he knew before. For a brief moment, standing in front of Strayed was practically a carbon copy of Ichika himself, except with black hair cut short at the nape of his neck, the mane itself slicked back with only a single strand hanging down the forehead, touching the bridge of his nose and curved to the left eyebrow. He had a small scar along his lower lip, and wore some kind of black body suit with a metal collar, crimson red strips running across the arms and legs with a circlet around his left wrist, dangling on the chain was a black "X".

This person... how come they looked so familiar to him? Was this a dear friend of his? Someone from his past?

"Hey, Strayed, you alright?" Ichika's voice had brought said AC pilot back to reality, and saw that Ichika looked worried. "You were staring at me for some reason..."

"What?" Strayed said, snapping out of his reverie before flashing a brief smile. "It's nothing. You just... reminded me of someone for a second there."

As the two began to engross in conversation, Houki fidgeted in her seat, looking at Ichika, and the back to her hands, which had begun to sweat profusely. _'Oh man, what do I say? I mean, it's great that he's here and all, but... Ah, dammit! Come on, Houki, you can do this! Just... tell him to meet you on the roof! Y-yeah, that's it!'_

Taking a deep breath, Houki put on that 'Chifuyu' face of hers and stood up, holding her back at her side as she walked up to the two. "Ichika." Said younger brother of the "She-Demon" turned to see her, and smiled.

"Yo, Houki. What's up?" he asked casually, as if they had seen each other only yesterday, which had mentally frustrated Houki, and would have begun tearing her hair out at his naive nature.

'_Y-you stupid moron! We haven't seen each other in six years, and that's all you have to say?!'_ "Can we... talk on the rooftop?" she asked, restraining herself from punching him. However, though she wasn't aware of it, Strayed had seen her hands tighten into fists on her bag.

Ichika looked confused for a moment, but nodded at her request. "Yeah, sure." The dark haired boy looked over at Strayed. "Sorry, but can we talk some other time?" Strayed nodded, and looked over at Houki with a befuddled look. "Oh, right, you haven't met her yet. Strayed, this is Houki Shinonono, a friend of mine from childhood."

Houki blushed a bit after hearing Ichika call her that, but gave an awkward cough to suppress it before turning to Strayed. "Houki is just fine. By the way, is it true you're Miss Yamada's cousin?"

"Yes, though this is the first time we've met, as far as I know." Strayed answered, still thinking back to the explanation he was given about his new life here, as well as his cover. There was still so many questions he had to ask, but they could wait for now. "So, um, Ichika..."

"Hm, yeah? What's up?" said male smiled at him, his hand in his pockets before...

"Are you and Houki a couple? I ask this because she was blushing at your statement earlier, and in addition, you're face was slightly red."

There was nothing but silence, dead painful silence as the girls, who had apparently been listening to their conversation, looked at the two expectantly with looks of curiosity. At first, Houki and Ichika were frozen in place before both of their faces, the deepest shade of red that Strayed had ever seen, appeared on their face. "W-w-what?! N-no, we're just friends!" Houki protested, flailing her arms about.

"Y-yeah!" Ichika nodded in agreement. "Geez, Strayed! Way to put us on the spot like that!"

"It was a honest question." Strayed said in defense. "And, are you sure you're not a couple? I say this because you're both in fierce denial, and your faces are even more red than before."

Houki and Ichika looked at each other, and saw that Strayed was indeed correct before shaking their heads and flailing their arms about. "For the last time, NO! WE! ARE! NOT! A! COUPLE!" they yelled in perfect unison.

Strangely, the other girls giggled and looked at each other. "So they're not together?" one of them asked.

"Then that means..." another smirked mischievously.

"That Ichika Orimura..."

"IS ALL OURS!" they all yelled with happiness, though the magnitude of their shout was enough to make any normal person cringe as their shielded their ears. Strayed look confused as he looked at how happy they were before bidding his two new friends goodbye as they made their way to the rooftop.

No sooner did they leave, however, did a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes approach Strayed with an arrogant look on her face. "You there, Yamada!" she said with her hands firmly on her hips. Strayed turned to face her, still keeping his cold stoic face. "I challenge you to a duel!"

The class turned sharply on their heels, as they were about to leave, their eyes wide and looking at the two back and forth. Strayed caught bits and pieces of their conversation, saying something about the girl, Cecile Alcott being her name, being a Representative Candidate for England. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked in a bored tone.

However, Cecile ignored it and stomped up to him, getting in his face. Strayed showed no reaction whatsoever, mostly because he had no idea what the hell she was doing. "I heard that you are a Representative Candidate for America, is that right?" she asked, almost in a snobby tone.

And for some reason, Strayed felt like hitting her for that. "I am. What about it?"

"Then we should see who is the strongest here!" Cecile stated, stepping back and pointing a finger at him. "I myself am a Representative Candidate for my birth country of England! And, as I was told, men are the weaker link! That is why I want to show you the difference between us!"

The anger kept rising. The word 'Cradle' came to his mind, and unconsciously his hands balled into fists. "The difference?"

"Yes! Until you and that Orimura boy showed up, women were the superior species, since we are the only ones capable of piloting an IS! That is, until you two upstarts showed up! Now, if you call yourself a man, you will accept my challenge!"

Strayed tried to keep his anger in check, but this girl was beginning to irritate him in more ways than one. It felt he hadn't escaped from the idea at all, the idea of superiority. Those with power could do as they please, thinking they would get away with it, while those that could do nothing were left to suffer for their actions.

Part of him wanted to agree, to show her the truth she couldn't even see in front of her. However...

The name "Old King" rang in his ears, as well as the sound of millions of screams, and the sound of a man laughing. Images passed by in his head, giant flying planes heading down towards the ground with flames raging everywhere, and a green machine hovering by, as if watching the spectacle.

And then came a voice that had sent a chill down his spine. _"One hundred million..."_

"I respectfully decline." he said flatly, turning on his heel and walking away, ignoring the gasps of shock behind him. He pushed the images and the Russian man's voice out of his head for the time being, and decided to meet up with Ichika up on the roof.

Cecile's face was red with anger. "Y-your running away?!" she cried out, aiming an accusing finger. "Cowardly fool!"

"I am no fool..." Strayed said, stopping at the door before looking over his shoulder. "I simply have no time to waste on a snobby, arrogant git who has a daddy complex."

Cecile's face fell while the class erupted with laughter. Her face had changed from red of anger to red of embarrassment, having been insulted in the worst possible way ever. Just as she had regained her composure, she glared daggers at Strayed...

Who, by this time, had already left the room. What happened was to be expected: she ran out of the room and chased after him. "You're not getting away with this, you lowlife!"

* * *

(Scene Break, Strayed's World)

"All system are in the green, boosters running normally, thrusters at maximum capacity, and Kojima Reactor running perfectly at 58%..."

As the giant black AC, codenamed "DESERTER" was being inspected and ready for deployment, the pilot began looking over everything for the third time in case he had overlooked something. He was older than most, 30 or 31 with black hair cut short at the nape of his neck, the mane itself slicked back with only a single strand hanging down the forehead, touching the bridge of his nose and curved to the left eyebrow. He had a small scar along his lower lip, and wore the standard uniform, which was a black body suit with a metal color, crimson red strips running across the arms and legs with a circlet around his left wrist, dangling on the chain was a black "X".

"So, how's it feel being in an AC for the first time in ten years, Raven?" one of the young man's teammates asked him. "Not like how it used to be, eh?"

Raven nodded at that, chuckling as he gripped the controls tightly, feeling the weapons being loaded onto "DESERTER". "You got that right," the Lynx nodded. "Though I would prefer it being under less... strenuous circumstances. So, what are these Resistance guys like, anyway?"

"They're the scum of the Earth, and need to be put down." Kaine said sharply, though there was a bit of humor in his voice. "Okay ladies, enough chit-chat. Time to make Old King a thing of the past by getting this crazy part started!"

"Hah, I'm with ya on that!" Cylar crackled madly, throwing his head back, which his AC mimicked. "Though, that old geezer ain't nothing compared to the Strayed!"

At the mention of the named 'Strayed', Raven looked down at the circlet that hung on his wrist, and gripped it tightly. It was not secret that Raven, a former teammate of the Strayed during his dog days, were very good friends. In fact, during the Economical War twenty years ago, the two had each other's backs with guns at the ready, always backing each other up whether they be through hordes of AC or fighting against Armed Forts such as the Spirit of Motherwill.

Of course, this was before Strayed had become known as a mass-murder alongside Old King, destroying the Cradles and being labeled a terrorist. Despite having used a special system that not even Kasumi could replicate, he was still known as the "White Devil", or the "False Anatolia", since he had been entrusted with White Glint after the former pilot's fall at the hands of ORCA. Yet, like Raven and Kasumi, there were many others who looked up to him as a hero of sorts, wanting to show that man could fight against their sins head on.

"Okay, boys, enough chit-chat." Sandra's voice sparked up over the COM-LINK. "The mission will begin in T-minus 5 minutes. Cylar, Kaine, you two will be acting as Team Beta in destroying the AC's over by Point's 3 and 4. Raven and Fear will act as Team Alpha in destroying the unknown AC at Point 2."

"And who will handle the big cheese at Point 1?" Kaine asked curiously. "I mean, from what I hear, this muchacho's pretty high up on the food chain."

"That will go to Raven." Sandra said, and her tone had made it very clear that there would be no objections. "According to the data we received, this AC attacks any AC it sees."

"And how are we going to spot it?" Fear asked, his dark blue AC gripping the twin laser blades tightly. "What are the characteristics?"

"You'll know who it is by the red color. Now, prepare for launch immediately!"

With that, all four AC's looked ready to pounce as their large frame's were placed on the launch pad's, weapons ready to fire, and visors/eye sockets glowing brightly as the hangar doors opened up. The blowing desert wind greeted them, however this mission suited them perfectly.

"Hope you still remember how to fly, crow boy!" Cylar laughed madly as his bright yellow AC was launched. "YEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAW!"

Kaine copter was already flying in the air with Fear's AC strapped on. The video feed opened up on the monitor, showing Fear's ever calm face. His dark blue hair covered the entire left half of his face, while his right eye was hidden behind an eye-patch. "Don't screw up, Raven." Fear teased with a rare smile.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road!" Kaine laughed enthusiastically, leaving Raven a feral grin on his face as he hunched over, leering intently at the desert, as if he could see his enemy a mile away.

'_Strayed... what would you say...'_ the ace pilot couldn't help but think. _'If you could see this now?'_

With that, the catapult was launched into the air, like a panther that had leaped out into the wild for it's pray. Raven couldn't resist it. He just had to say it.

"'Raven' Ichika Orimura in DESERTER, launching!"

_End of Phase 2_

**Girl 1:** Wow, seems like the princess has it in for Miss Yamada's cousin!

**Girl 2:** Yeah, I wonder what that's all about?

**Girl 1:** Oh, oh! Maybe she's madly in love with him?!

**Girl 3:** Yes, that must be it!

**Girl 2:** Well, don't look now, but it seems like their having a lover's spat!

**All: **Next time, on Infinite Stratos: For Answer!

**Girl 3:** Phase 3: Advent and Herald!

**Girl 1:** I wonder what'll happen?!

**Okay, if the reviews I received meant anything, I totally screwed up on White Glint's equipment, though this is mostly because of misinformation I got from a friend. I will make adjustments, but they will probably not be prominent until late in the series. Also, as I said above, Strayed will receive a harem. You have you're choices: Charlotte, Laura, Chifuyu, and Rin. You can only pick two out of the four. Ichika already has Cecile and Houki, along with that other "she-devil" from Student Council. Anyway, please enjoy the story to it's fullest!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Infinite Stratos: For Answer**

_**Phase Three: Advent and Herald**_

_The Armored Core, the most powerful weapon that was ever designed on Earth, in the year 20XX. In recent years, humanity plagued war against their own kind, and in those times, the AC's were called in to partake in these mindless slaughters. However, due to the increase of Kojima Energy, the main power source of the Armored Core, the Earth is slowly dying._

_However, ever since the event that was named "Fallen Heaven", man is on the path of recovery. 30 years have passed since the passing of the Strayed; a Lynx both feared and awed to this very day, and now the world is under the control of a singular oppressive Government. As it stands now, the world is under constant overbearing pressure from these warmongers._

_However, an Ace pilot by the name of Ichika Orimura, otherwise known to the world as "Raven", has taken up arms against both the oppressive government, led by a ruthless tyrant known as "FATHER". Our story follows the tale of one who bears his name, in the world of the Infinite Stratos..._

* * *

(IS Academy, Dorms)

Ichika blinked, his awe unable to be shaken off. "Holy crap... It's like a luxury suite in here!" he said in amazement. The dorm building was the same size as the main school building, however it was split between two parts, the left building for Freshman and Sophomores, and the right building for Juniors and Seniors. At first, Ichika thought the rooms to be like your normal cramped spaces, but this was not what he had expected.

The room had yellowish golden wallpaper with paintings and photos of beautiful sceneries, a giant study table meant for two people sitting on the right side of the room beside a closet, and two large beds. Beside the entryway was the bathroom, and judging by the sound of flowing water, he was guessing that whoever was inside would be his roommate (and knowing his luck, it would be a girl and not Strayed). Facing Ichika, all the way to the other end of the room, was a sliding glass door with a perfect view of the ocean, beautiful and enticing that it should have been photographed.

Ichika ignored his amazement for the time being and set down his bag on the bed closest to the bathroom and immediately began unpacking his belongings. It was just normal stuff like his street clothes and old heirlooms, as well as trophies he won from his elementary school soccer games and his middle school baseball tournaments. There was also a few pictures from when he was a kid, all of them showing him as a seven year old child, a year before the events behind Monno Grosso, and his beloved older sister/mother figure Chifuyu, who had the rarest sight that ever befell her face, a genuine kind smile that radiated with pure happiness and joy.

Ichika smiled briefly at the photo before putting it at the nightstand, slipping his bag to the floor and unbuttoning his jacket, tossing it over to the chair. He plopped down, lying on his back with his arms behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. "Man, talk about a busy day..."

'_First finding out that I can pilot an IS, then being tossed into this school, learning that Chifuyu was a teacher here, and then to top it off, another guy that can pilot an IS!'_ he mentally sighed, but a smile soon came to his face. _'Still, it's kind of reassuring to know that I'm not the only guy that can pilot an IS anymore. I wonder how he found out about it... Maybe it was like me? Touching it out of simple curiosity, like you were drawn to it? Or, maybe...'_

The sounding of water being shut off alerted Ichika to know that his roommate was done. As the door opened, Ichika braced himself for the impending doom that would befall him, knowing full well what would happen if his roommate was one of the dreaded "fangirls"...

Chifuyu had warned him of that day, and boy, was she right!

To his surprise, it wasn't one of his fan girls, per say, rather it was someone he knew very well by the brown hair tied back, that large bust of hers, and the chocolate brown eyes. It wouldn't be hard for him to recognize her, even after their six-year absence. "H-Houki?"

Houki's body was tightly hidden by a single cloth of towel, and was currently drying her hair when she heard Ichika, and turned around in surprise. Her eyes widened, and her mouth was gaping open like a trout. "I-I-Ichika?!" she had screamed at the top of her lungs, taken a step back in shock. "W-w-what are you d-d-doing here?!"

"W-well, er..." Ichika had to think for a moment. He had double-checked the paper he was given, and the number plate beside the room, and sure enough, this was his room. So why was Houki his roommate-

Then the face of his sister came to mind. _'Oh... I get it...'_ Ichika thought, sighing in relief. _'There would be no way she would trust me with a total stranger, but Houki and I aren't strangers at all... we're childhood friends!'_

"T-this... is my room too, I guess..." the dark-haired boy answered, though Houki was still bewildered about it. No, bewildered wasn't quite the correct word, it was more among the lines of flustered. Her face was bright red, and her arms instinctively went to cover her chest.

"W-what the hell does that mean?!" Houki shouted at him, and just as quickly glared at him. "D-don't tell me you asked to be in the same room as me!"

"What? No!" Ichika shook his head, mentally sighing in exasperation. Six years had done nothing to change the fact that Houki was still quick to jump to conclusions. "If you want to blame someone, blame Sis!"

Houki stopped at his words, the scarlet color still on her face, even as she looked as if she had frozen in place, but then sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumped before looking at Ichika. "Well, I guess it would make sense." Houki said as she went over to the closet, still making sure to keep the towel around her body. "There'd be no way Chifuyu would ever let you be in the same room with some girl you don't know."

"Thank God for that..." Ichika sighed, falling back down on his bed. "I seriously thought those girls were gonna eat me?! Am I the only boy they've seen at this place, or what?!" Houki looked over her shoulder and stared at him with the same look that Chifuyu had sometimes, which practically screamed 'Are you ******* me?' "Oh, wait, never mind. Stupid question..." Ichika sweat dropped at his own stupidity. "Forgot only girls could pilot an IS..."

Houki shook her head, but then smiled thinly as she opened the drawer in search of her usual nightclothes. However, what Ichika had said had brought something to mind, and she couldn't help but wonder...

How could he pilot an IS? The same question applied to Strayed, though she had more questions about him than anything. While she may have not have met her Assistant Teacher, Maya Amada, she could already tell that she and Strayed were NOT related in any way. And then came his status as a Representative Candidate of the United States. Did that mean he had a personal IS as well?

"Hey, Ichika..." Houki looked over her shoulder, but stopped when saw that Ichika had already fallen fast asleep, his left arm hanging over the side of the bed while the right arm was propped beside him, the hand next to his head while his right leg was like his left arm, dangling over the edge.

Sighing, she shook her head as she undid her towel and began putting on her nightclothes, not having to worry about Ichika peeping on her. Though, she knew he wouldn't be stupid enough to try that, considering he _should_ remember what happened the last time he tried to pull that on her.

Too bad her wooden sword broke though, it was her personal friend when it came to disciplining morons.

* * *

(IS Academy, Simulation Room)

"Amazing..."

This was all Maya could say to describe what she saw. Even Chifuyu, who always wore a staunch and stern mask, looked dumbstruck as she saw Strayed; currently inside his IS, flying around with speed that could match the Byakushiki with the Ignition Boost.

White Glint was truly a masterpiece in both form and weaponry, as the twin assault rifles continued to hit the targets, not even missing a beat. Its speed and maneuver had shown the two instructors that Strayed may have forgotten everything about himself, but he had forgotten nothing about his combat skills. Chifuyu could tell the moment he launched into the air that he wasn't a mere child... he was a born-and-bred soldier.

"**Three minutes and forty six seconds until the simulation ends."** the system AI within White Glint informed Strayed, who had his focus completely at the task at him. He didn't even ask himself or stop to think why he knew all of this, he just _knew_, and left it at that. He didn't stop to ask himself why he knew it, he just continued to move and shoot, angling his body along with his AC (he didn't use the term IS, for some odd reason), evading energy strikes from holographic enemies.

It took only ten seconds before those holograms were destroyed at close range, as White Glint had shot toward them and rammed his legs into their faces, smashing them head-first into the ground. Strayed didn't stay on the ground for long as he came back up into the air, prepping his assault rifles for another round when the pilot noticed that he had another 100 rounds left.

"_Don't worry about ammo, Strayed."_ Chifuyu appeared to his left through some sort of screen, her arms crossed and her face stern. _"Just focus on assessing White Glint's abilities."_

"Roger." Strayed nodded, looking back at the field as the image disappeared. Six holograms, all of them equipped with heavy artillery, and from the look of them, they were set at Risk Level 4. Instantly, the System AI flared to life. **"Warning, Enemy equipped with Level B artillery."** it informed him as a new schematic appeared before him, showing White Glint, only with minor differences. **"Activating Primal Armor."**

Instantly, the same schematic appeared on the screen within the control room. White Glint's visor, which glowed greenish blue, was hidden behind metal plating with boosters rising up from various parts of the body. "Primal Armor?" Chifuyu raised an eyebrow.

As the holograms aimed their weapons at them, White Glint had finally undergone the changes shown in the schematics. Strayed felt his body being washed over, his skin felt as if it was covered in a warm layer of clothes, contrary to how he felt when he entered the AC.

A thin, green layer covered White Glint, almost transparent. Maya's eyes widened when she saw that the Shield Energy, which had been reading at 400, was now at 2000. "How is that even possible?!" Chifuyu's eyes widened, taking a step back in shock. "What just happened?!"

"This Primal Armor function..." Maya pushed up her glasses, her hands flying across the keyboard and her fingers typing away. "It appears that it activates when an enemy's activity reaches a certain point, or its equipped with weapons that could do major damage. According to the information, it's a special shield that not only increases the shield energy, but also decreases the damage White Glint suffers... Incredible."

Chifuyu looked back at White Glint, which was following Strayed's command as it evaded all the attacks it was met with like an acrobat with a jet pack. If she had to describe this machine any other way, it would probably have to be 'breathtaking' in both the fluid motions and the executions. Strayed was incredible, he had destroyed the holograms in record time, faster than even what she could do in White Knight when equipped with Core 001.

"**One minute and 9 seconds until simulation ends..."** Strayed ignored it and continued moving, his body acting as if it were on auto pilot and already firing to the left above his right arm, which was focused on the front. With a squeeze of the trigger, the enemy, which had a rocket launcher on them, was shot down and slammed into the ground, dispersing into tiny green squares. **"Fifty seconds until simulation ends."**

With two more clicks, another five went down. However, in their place was over ten AC's, all of them equipped with something even the Primal Armor couldn't withstand. The weapons themselves were like giant spears meant to shatter armor, which worried him. If that pierced through the Primal Armor...

"**Thirty seconds until simulation ends."** the AI continued on with her announcement until another command was shown in front of him. **"Warning, a large number of enemies have been detected with Level A artillery. Engage Assault Armor?"**

Strayed raised an eyebrow, curious by this Assault Armor feature, thinking it must have been something for major heavy defense against weapons like this, but then something flashed in his mind. Not a defense, but maybe...

"Activate Assault Armor." Strayed gave the command. He could have sworn the AI sounded pleased.

"**Affirmative. Activating Assault Armor."**

This had not gone unnoticed by Chifuyu and Maya, as the order was shown on the screen. "What the hell is Assault Armor?" Chifuyu asked, her eyes narrowing as she saw the green layer disperse from White Glint. She also could have sworn she heard some kind of whistling sound of some kind, in a high pitch as well. "Is it for large numbers?"

"I don't know, but-" Maya's eyes widened when she read the information carefully, as well as the status of White Glint. "H-how is that even possible?!"

"What's wrong?" Chifuyu looked over her shoulder, and her eyes widened, shock and disbelief clear on her face as the specs behind the IS had drastically improved, and the Shield Energy was quickly rising to a point where it shouldn't have been possible. The high pitch whistle grew louder, this time to the point where it began to ring in her ears. "W-what the hell is that noise?!"

The two looked just in time to see green particles flowing out of the boosters, and White Glint at the center of the ring of holograms. Just as they were about to charge, the twin assault rifles vanished.

The sound grew louder still, the windows shook yet refused to break, however the teachers had to cover their ears. "I-is his IS causing it?" Chifuyu asked, though her voice was dismantled in the sound, as if it wouldn't allow her. She looked out the window, and then she saw it.

White Glint was at the very center of a crater being formed in the process. The holograms were torn apart, no time for them to be reduced to tiny squares. The windows had developed cracks as the sound had reached its highest point, causing Chifuyu to kneel on her leg, wincing in pain from the sound. The crater continued to form, ripping apart the ground itself until it stopped.

The sound had finally died down, and Chifuyu opened her ears. It was still ringing, but of lower volume. "M-Maya, you alright?" she asked her assistant, who nodded before looking out the window, and her eyes widened. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, no!" Maya immediately went to work on the computer, and before long an image of a panting Strayed appeared on the monitor. "Strayed, are you all right?! Your Shield Energy is drastically low! And the stability of your IS is almost in the red zone!"

Chifuyu looked at the specs, and saw that she was correct. What was originally 5000 Shield Energy at its highest was now 50, and like Maya said, the power stability within his IS was just as low, if not worse for wear.

"**Simulation has been terminated."** the AI stated. **"Disengaging pilot."**

White Glint slowly, albeit wobbly, descended back to the ground and opened up its body. The arms fell at the sides, the boosters shutting down and the white cylinders, accelerators for major speed when you wanted to be a real speed demon, retracting back into the IS. The chest armor opened up, and the helmet vanishing. Strayed looked as if he was ready to pass out as he lifted himself out of the IS, but no sooner had he done this did he fall to the ground.

Maya immediately ran out of the room to check on him, while Chifuyu looked at the schematics and specs of the IS known as White Glint. "That attack... It's strong, but its definitely not a multiple use..." she thought, giving that usual habit she gave as she put a hand to her chin with her arm supporting it. "It brings the Shield Energy output to an insane level, and then releases it as a giant shockwave. Afterwards though, its dangerously low, and the power stability within the IS itself is nearly within jeopardy.

"The Assault Armor..." Chifuyu muttered the name before looking down at the scene outside the window, Strayed currently being placed on a stretcher, leaving the IS where it was. "White Glint, huh..."

'_More like White Devil, if you ask me...'_

* * *

(Time Break, the Next Day)

Class had started out like it normally did for Ichika, trying his best to ignore all the stares from the girls while also looking back at Strayed, diligent and still like a statue or something. Most of the material he was able to understand, thanks to Houki's lessons before school started, but there were still a few blank spots.

"Okay, the class representative matches are going to begin in the next week, so I hope you have started up on your practice." Chifuyu stated, looking at them behind her podium with her ever-stern glare. "If you have anyone you would like to volunteer, let's hear it now before I decide it."

No sooner did she say that did one girl raise her hand. "I think the class representative should be Orimura!" she said with a cheerful smile. Ichika looked back at her with wide eyes, while Strayed looked somewhat amused.

"Wait, what?"

"Ooh, I think that's a great idea!" another girl chimed in. "I vote for Ichika Orimura too!"

"Me three!'

"Same here!"

"Ditto!"

And just like that, almost every single girl in the class, save Houki who was having too much fun watching Ichika despair, and Cecile who looked miffed about Ichika being chosen and not her, had voted for him. "D-don't I get a say in this...?" said male said, hanging his head low, and unfortunately, no one but Strayed had heard his words.

"Well then, it's decided." Chifuyu chuckled silently at her young brother's reaction. "Orimura will be the Class 1-1 Representative."

"Now hold on just one second!" Everyone's head snapped to the back of the class upon hearing hands slamming down on the table. Cecile was anything but pleased, in fact she looked absolutely furious. Then again, this was to be expected considering how she was born and raised. Every man, with the exception of her father, was weak and pitiful while women were strong. That, and in her point of view, Japan was severely lacking in cultural manners. The fact that Ichika, a male and of Japanese descent, was chosen to be the class representative just infuriated her. "I do not approve of this! Why should someone like _him_ be the class representative?"

"But, we all chose him because..." one girl started to say, but quickly shut up when Cecile gave a quick death glare at her before turning back to the front.

"Boys are completely stupid and total brutes!" the blonde argued, pointing an accusing finger at Ichika. "Japan is full of unrefined moronic idiots like him! He shouldn't even be here!"

Those words did not sit well with Ichika, as he glared back fiercely at her. Anyone that saw this, including Houki, immediately squirming to the edge of their seats, as for a moment they seemed to be glowing red. He was fine with her insulting him, hell he wouldn't have cared if she had slapped him, but when you insult someone else, or his sister for that matter...

There was going to be hell to pay. Just as Ichika was about to tell her off, Strayed had beaten him to it. "That's a rather bold statement, coming from the one who has a daddy complex." he said in both a bored and bland tone, looking at her over his shoulder.

Cecile glared daggers at him intensely. "W-why you insolent coward! You wouldn't even accept my challenge! You do not have the right to talk back to me!"

"I have every right." That was when everyone saw it. The change in his voice, the shift in the look of his eyes, and even his posture as he stood up with one hand at his hip. Cecile felt her entire body shiver from the look he gave her, as if he was completely reading her like an open book without a lock. "Take out the status of you being a Representative Candidate for your home country, take away your name and birth right, and take away your IS, and what does that make you? The same as everyone else: Weak, arrogant, pitiful, and ignorant of others. You're human, not even remotely special. And apparently, in your case, you're also an obnoxious and racist git."

"W-what?"

"When you made that statement about the people of Japan, you not only insulted the teacher nor almost everyone in this class, but almost the _entire _majority of everyone in this school, student and faculty member."

Cecile's eyes widened, and as soon as she looked around, she saw hateful glares from almost every single student, especially from Houki and Ichika, who were both moved and awed by Strayed's speech. Even Chifuyu was interested, but even more than that, what he had just said, in both the way he spoke and in the way he acted, it had confirmed it all for her.

This boy had seen war, lived and bathed in it for almost his entire life, whether he remembered it or not. She had first thought of him being a soldier from his movements during the simulation to test the limits of his IS, he had aimed directly where a person was most vulnerable and where they relied on their machine the most. And yet, it both saddened and pained her to see someone so young have most of his life being used as a tool or a weapon.

No child should have to be used for such things. For once in her life, Chifuyu felt sorry for someone, and hoped that Strayed would never have to remember those painful times. He was young, still new to the world. To remember the screams and echoes of the dead would haunt you until your day of reckoning. And for someone as young as him, it would be like an eternal hell...

Back with Cecile, after getting over her shock, she glared even harder at the young man, and snarled as she said loud enough, "That's it! I challenge you to a-"

"Hold on!" Ichika said suddenly, getting up from his seat. "I agree with Strayed! I can take me being insulted, but when you go insulting my friends, and more importantly, my _sister_, that's pushing it!"

"Oh, and I suppose you want to fight?" Cecile asked in a snobbish manner, flipping her hair over her shoulder, expecting him to back down.

Unfortunately, she didn't know him all that well. "Damn right I do!" he said vehemently with eyes that one could mistake for the "She-Demon". It was on that day that everyone in class had officially nicknamed Ichika Orimura as the "Red-Eyed Demon", mostly because of how his eyes seemed to burn dark red. Even Houki looked surprised. _'Ichika...'_

Chifuyu gave a small, hidden smile at her brother's actions, glad to see that he was finally stepping up to the plate. "Well then, in that case...

"Friday, after school, we'll have a match between Alcott and Orimura to decide who will be the Class Representative."

"Tch, fine by me..." Cecile 'hmph'ed, crossing her arms over her chest while looking at Ichika in disdain. "But, if I win, you will be my slave!"

"Fair enough." he responded, his glare not loosing its heated edge. "But, if I win, you have to apologize to Strayed and everyone else in this class!"

Though no one could see it, Strayed had felt his respect for Ichika risen a couple notches. The way he spoke and acted on behalf of both himself and for his classmates and family, it had struck a cord in him. For some odd reason, he smiled at Ichika while thinking something, never considering what it meant.

'_He reminds me a lot of Raven...'_

_End of Phase 3_

**Girl 1:** Wow, did you see how cool those two were?!

**Girl 2:** Oooh, I think I'm in love!

**Girl 3:** Better hold on to your hearts girls, because Friday's gonna be so awesome!

**Girl 2:** Who do you think will win?

**Girl 1: **Our Ichika, of course!

**Girl 3:** I really wish it was Strayed fighting though; he's so handsome...

**All:** Next time, on Infinite Stratos: For Answer!

**Girl 1:** Phase 4: Advent and Rage! The Wrath of Byakushiki!

**Girl 2 &amp; 3:**You don't want to miss this!

**And with that, we are getting close to the main confrontation between Ichika and Cecile. I left quite the impression when people saw an alternate version of Ichika, more importantly, the Raven of Armored Core V, in battle. Anyway, after this, updates will be slowed and varied, but I am glad everyone is enjoying it. Please enjoy the story for the rest of it's continuity. Also, then points to those that noticed and guessed about the "red AC". *grins* Oh yes, true hell shall be unleashed upon the world of Infinite Stratos.**


	4. Chapter 4

Infinite Stratos: For Answer

_Phase Four: Advent and Rage -The Wrath of Byakushiki!-_

_What is wrath, or hatred, or anger? Are they all one of the same? Or are they seperate, representing one's emotional desire at someone? _

_No, it is the feeling that dwells within one when someone they care for has been harmed, whether it is by words of weapon._

_It is the rage of one man that wakes up the white warrior from its slumber, and grants him the strength to unsheathe its blade._

_The rage and desire, born from Ichika Orimura, has awoken the Byakushiki once more._

* * *

(IS Academy, Hangar Deck)

Ichika felt this sensation before, the feeling that something had beckoned him toward it. Standing at his side was Houki and Strayed, both of which curious to see his personal IS, which had been delivered today, merely an hour after the challenge given to him by that arrogant wench Cecile.

"So this..." Ichika breathed, his hand already on the steel plating of the white and blue IS. "Is my personal IS? It feels... familiar, for some reason."

"I suppose it should, Ichika." Chifuyu said, a smirk on her face as she once again crossed her arms over her chest, a signature pose of hers. "After all, this used to be my own IS, at least during the second Monno Grosso tournament."

The mention of that had sent a pang of guilt in Ichika's chest, but ignored it for now before looking back. The IS, known as Byakushiki, stood in stand-by with its arms hovering at its sides, and its wings with gold trims stacked on its back plating. Ichika could make out the hilt of a blade at its side, most likely the sword Chifuyu used in her tournament, the Yukihira.

After having his hand on the IS for only a minute, he heard something whisper against his ear, accompanying it was a gust of hot air brushing against his ear. _"It's you..."_ Ichika's hand recoiled, his eyes wide.

Houki looked worried by this, as she did not hear the voice. "Ichika...?"

Strayed looked perfectly normal on the outside, but inside, he couldn't help but think to something. When he first saw it, the name of his IS, White Glint, had come to mind, as did another. No, it wasn't really a name; it was something else, more like a title or a moniker.

When he saw Byakushiki, he recalled something named "Anatolia's Mercenary", and with it, the name of Fiona Jarnafelt. Who these people were, he had no idea, but it felt so warm and welcoming, a small smile spread across his face without even realizing it before looking at Ichika. It was clear by his action that he had felt something spark from within the IS.

"It's... different from before." Ichika said, looking at the IS with a strange look on his face. "It's not like the first time."

"Maybe it's because you were meant to pilot it, Ichika." Strayed said, causing Maya to smile at his encouragement while Chifuyu chuckled, as the boy had realized what exactly had occurred with Ichika.

The IS was, in a sense, like a mechanical living being with a consciousness. The stronger the bond between the pilot and the IS, the better the performance. However, some IS's possessed a will and personality all on their own. In Strayed's case with White Glint, it hardly spoke at all, but when it did, it was always calm and cool like a cucumber, analytical and stoic regarding both the enemy and their strategies. For Chifuyu, in the White Knight when she piloted it, it was energetic and chivalrous, however some of the things it yelled had annoyed the older Orimura, shouting things like "Coward! Come and face us like men!" or better yet "Nave! You dare run from us?!" Suffice to say; with some threatening from both Tabane and Chifuyu, it quickly learned to shut up before the She-Demon and the Most Wanted Person decided to scrap it.

"The Byakushiki is a 3rd Generation IS Unit, with its two most amazing functions being the Ignition Boost and the Shield Disabling Ability!" Maya explained to him. "The Ignition Boost increases the maximum thruster output beyond its normal limits for one shot, allowing you to surprise the enemy and deliver a heavy strike! The Shield Disabling Ability is a special function with Yukihira, one hit from that, and your shield will suffer major damage! However, this is not without its drawback, as when you use it, it will cannibalize your shield energy for itself."

Ichika looked amazed by this, and looked back at Byakushiki. "Wow..." he muttered before a thought came to him, and looked at Chifuyu. "Um, Sis-I mean, Miss Orimura..."

"Ichika, when school is over, you're allowed to call me by first name." Chifuyu cut him off. "And before you ask, a personal IS is given to Representative Candidates, such as Alcott, for various purposes. However, in your case, its merely to gather data."

"Then, does Strayed have a personal IS as well?" Houki asked curiously.

It was then that Strayed had remembered that, after using the Assault Armor, White Glint had been sitting in the hangar bay in stand-by mode. Chifuyu saw him looking around, and looked up at the command center. "Open up Hangar 03, will you?"

A few seconds later, one of the iron doors within the Hangar Bay opened up, revealing White Glint in its full glory. Houki and Ichika saw it for themselves, and they couldn't help but feel amazed by its form. It bore such a striking resemblance to Byakushiki, minus the blue parts and the wings with the gold trims, but it still looked amazing. "That's Strayed's personal IS, codename White Glint." Maya said with her usual enthusiasm, though the events of the simulation were still in her mind. "It focuses on speed and firepower, equipped with a laser blade that takes out 20 points from the Shield Energy, Electromagnetic Mines that temporarily disables the IS caught in it, and two assault rifles."

"Wow, seriously?" Houki said, her shock and awe growing by the second. "Is it a 3rd Generation, like Byakushiki?"

"Unfortunately, we have no idea." Chifuyu answered. "However, it is capable of going on par with one. It also has two special functions that surpass the 3rd Generation, the Primal and Assault Armor. Primal Armor increases the Shield Output up to 2000 and drastically reduces the damage dealt to it by 10%, however it lasts for a total of 5 minutes. Assault Armor, on the other hand, increases the Shield Output even further, right to unheard of levels, and then releases it all at once, like a giant shockwave. Any IS that has under 300 Shield Energy is ripped to shreds."

When they heard this, Ichika and Houki looked aghast, thinking she was joking, but when they realized that the one explaining this to them was Chifuyu, they immediately paled. "That's... actually possible?" the younger Orimura fearfully asked. "Yikes!"

"But, there is a flaw to this." Maya said, her face becoming crestfallen. "Once Assault Armor is used, White Glint's shield energy is nearly depleted, and its stabilization rate enters the critical zone. Two or three hits from an IS, regardless of its type, would be enough to shut it down."

"And, to make things worse, it takes a toll on the pilot." Chifuyu added in a nonchalant tone. "Strayed collapsed the moment he got out of his IS, and had several minor injuries, adding to the long rate of his recovery."

Strayed scratched his cheek in embarrassment, while Houki and Ichika looked horrified. "Wait, you were in the infirmary?!" the dark haired boy cried in panic. "What were you doing that made you use THAT?!"

"A simulation to determine the limit of White Glint's functions." Strayed answered, regaining his usual posture. "I'm still fairly new to my IS, so Miss Orimura and Aunt Maya had me go through a tutorial."

"B-but it was a simulation! A SIMULATION!" Houki shouted at him. "Why in the world would you even need to use this Assault Armor or whatever in a simulation?"

"Once again, to determine White Glint's functions." Strayed answered again in a bored tone. "I have no memory as to how I gained White Glint, or why I am able to pilot it. According to Miss Orimura, its core is of unknown origin, and Aunt Maya is unable to access any information within the IS itself without the correct passcode."

Ichika and Houki blinked at his statement, his words going right over their heads. Maya giggled, deciding to translate his speech. "What he is trying to say is that, since he lost his memory, and because we can't access the database within the IS itself, we needed to gather as much data as we could regarding White Glint's functions and abilities. Of course, since Strayed is White Glint's pilot, naturally he has the codes needed to open the lock on the IS, in case someone got their hands on it. However, due to his amnesia, those codes are lost to him."

"So, basically, he went all out in a simulation?" Ichika tilted his head, crossing his arms over his chest before a thought rang in his head. "So, wait... if Cecile is a Representative Candidate too, then, does that mean..."

Chifuyu smiled thinly, mentally praising Ichika for his quick realization. "Yes, she too has her own IS. It's a 3rd Generation, like Byakushiki, however Byakushiki is much faster in terms of speed. Blue Tears uses bits to pin down a single enemy, meaning that you'll be having a tough time."

"But, it uses long range weapons, right?" Houki asked, thinking what was already on Ichika's mind. However, her eyes wandered back to Strayed, and then winced upon seeing a few more bandages on his body. She recalled him being hospitalized for a while after the simulation, but his IS used long ranged weapons, so maybe...

"Hey, Strayed." Ichika said before she could. "I hate to ask this, seeing as you're pretty banged up, but... will you be willing to teach me how to fight?"

Strayed didn't even bother answering. He just walked over to the IS, touched the holopads that appeared in front of him, and leaped into the cockpit once the chest plate opened. "I won't go easy." he said with a serious expression on his face. It was almost an exact copy of the face Chifuyu wore most of the time.

Ichika smiled back as he turned to where Byakushiki sat, and pumped a fist to his chest. "By the time we're done..." he muttered to himself. "Alcott's gonna regret taking me on!"

Unfortunately for Ichika, he had no idea that Strayed was, for all pretexts and purposes, a Drill Instructor's worst nightmare...

* * *

(IS Academy, Dorm)

Houki struggled with all of her strength as she closed the door while slowly moving toward the beds, Ichika's nearly dead form beside her with an arm draped over her shoulder. "He's worse than Chifuyu..." he muttered in despair, anime-style tears running down his face. Houki had to pity the poor guy, considering that what he stated was indeed true.

Chifuyu had nothing on Strayed, for he and White Glint were like demons hell-bent on breaking your spirit, like an IS Drill Instructor. It also made matters worse since, for the next two days, Ichika would be training with him in order to combat and outmatch Cecile. However, the session was not without results, as Ichika, despite clumsy most of the time, had managed to force White Glint into the "Second Shift" as Chifuyu called it, and activated Primal Armor. After that, well...

Ichika had gotten his ass handed to him, bluntly put. Once Houki put Ichika on the bed, she went to the small cabinet in the bathroom to grab some gauze and bandages, the dark haired boy stared at the ceiling, thinking about their fight and what Strayed said. Not during their training, but what he had said to Cecile yesterday.

"_Take out the status of you being a Representative Candidate for your home country, take away your name and birth right, and take away your IS, and what does that make you? The same as everyone else: Weak, arrogant, pitiful, and ignorant of others. You're human, not even remotely special."_

'_I couldn't tell it at first, but... when he said that, I could see it... I saw it myself back a few years ago, when I was kidnapped during the second Monno Grosso tournament. I saw it in their eyes, that despairing, haunting look that you have when you've seen people die in front of your eyes. The look you get when you've been in a war...'_

Ichika, though wincing in pain, moved his hand up to his face, his eyes narrowing in both thought and pain. _'How much death did you see, Strayed...?'_ he couldn't help but think. _'Why were you even involved...? And, why does it feel like... I've met you before...?'_

'_Just who are you, Strayed Yamada...?'_

* * *

(Scene Break, Strayed's World)

_...calibrations are set and corrected..._

_...main thrusters fully functional..._

_...Kojima Reactor running at 100% efficiency..._

_...system AI calibrated..._

_...external limbs are functioning normally..._

_...all system readings are green..._

_...uploading interface..._

_...interface loading complete..._

_...receiving orders..._

_...orders received..._

_...order accepted..._

**F-I-N-D A-N-D E-L-I-M-I-N-A-T-E I-C-H-I-K-A O-R-I-M-U-R-A**

* * *

(Scene Break, Ichika's World)

Ichika stood nervously in the hangar, looking at the arena with a look of worry. Tomorrow, he and Cecile would be going up against each other. While it was true that he had developed major improvement, he was still dissatisfied with his current state, not having the same level of strength as Strayed. In the recent days they trained together, Ichika had still not yet solved the mystery behind the unknown suffering behind his eyes, yet he had not given up.

Still, with the thought of him going into actual battle and not training, Ichika had to wonder if he would do okay. In all the mock fights, despite having been two days, Ichika had only gotten to the point where White Glint released the Primal Armor, after that, it was damn near unstoppable. The simulation forced him to use that Assault Armor, Ichika hoped he would never have to face it. While it was true they had more numbers on their side, they were still enough to force it to happen.

On reflex, Ichika's right hand opened and closed, a force of habit he made when he was thinking about something. Chifuyu had something similar to that, but she hardly ever did so. The last time he had seen it was during the Monno Grosso a few years ago, right before her big match. Had he not been kidnapped, Chifuyu would be a champion, a name to remember... yet she gave it all up for him. He still remembered it all.

* * *

(Flashback, 3 years ago)

_Ichika could barely feel anything in his body, it felt so weak after all the beatings he got from those men in the suits. He didn't understand any of this, what did they want from him? Why did they take him? And why did it sound like they hated Chifuyu? What had she ever done to them? Even if she was known as the "She-Demon", that was no reason to hate her to the degree that you would insult her!_

_Blood dripped down from the side of his mouth, drizzling from the corner while he winced in pain, the sting from the punch that was thrown at him a while back before he became unconscious. Ever part of him felt like it would give away to the pain at any second. They had come around every now and then to beat him while insulting Chifuyu, he could smell alcohol in their breath as well. This was another reason he hated drunks..._

_Then, his head jerked up when he heard the sound of gunfire and men screaming. "S-she came here in an IS?!" he heard a man shout in panic. "Crap, get outta here! She's gonna-GAH!"_

_The gunfire and screaming continued, but Ichika was too afraid to try and struggle, and with the way his body was, he doubted he could get very far to meet whoever was outside. He looked around, but he all he saw were rusted beams and puddles of water, no sort of escape whatsoever. When he heard the sound of metal scratching against metal, his fear grew by the second. He squirmed in the ropes when he saw metallic claws grasp between the opening between the metal doors, this time backing up with his legs kicking. Oh God, was he next? Was he gonna die here?_

_However, all of these thoughts were dispelled when the metal doors were ripped open, and the light that shined through caused Ichika to shut his eyes tightly. He couldn't see who it was, however he could tell by the panting that it was a woman. He didn't dare open his eyes, even as he heard machines whirling and the sounds now closer._

_Then, he felt something cold rub against him. He slowly opened his eyes, at first afraid of his supposed savior, and his eyes widened when he saw the men who kidnapped him lying on the ground, beaten down brutally with major cuts and bruises all over their body, some of them bleeding profusely. However, this was not surprised him._

_It was the sight of his sister, Chifuyu, who was in the IS called Byakushiki, who held him tightly with tears streaming down her eyes, sobbing loudly as her head dug deeper in the crook of his neck. This had shaken Ichika beyond belief. Never had he seen his sister like this, not once in his life. Not when she was being picked on or ridiculed in middle school, not when she had been in a fight with a girl in high school, and not even when she had been nearly killed in college because of some freak accident. She was always calm and cool, always stoic and stone cold, never to back down and never to stand down against someone who she knew was superior to her. She would always defy them, and prove herself the strongest._

_And yet, that iron maiden was not who Ichika saw. What he had seen was Chifuyu, who should have been at the stadium waiting for her opponent, in front of him, crying and holding him tightly, swearing that she would never let him go ever again. It was then that he finally understood why she wanted to be strong, why she was always pushing herself..._

_It was all to protect him, her little brother who always did something stupid..._

* * *

(Present Day)

Ichika looked down at his hand, and clenched it tightly. "Tomorrow..." he promised. "Tomorrow... I'll be the one doing the protecting. You can count on it, sis."

* * *

(The Next Day, IS Arena)

Strayed and Houki stood in the spectator's special area, watching the scene through a holomonitor. Cecile was already inside of her Infinite Stratos, which resembled White Glint while set into its Default Setting. Like it's namesake, Blue Tears, it was colored blue with a headband over her forehead, a skirt armor hanging down to the metal feet, and two large abrasions on it's hips. _'Must carry missiles.'_ Strayed analyzed before noting the slim protruding pieces along the back wings. _'Bits, huh? Long-range all right.'_

"Do you think Ichika will be okay?" Houki fidgeted, her hands held tightly together. Strayed didn't say anything, rather he continued to watch as Ichika finally sped into the fray. Byakushiki was truly something when seen in action. It's white form fit Ichika perfectly, a blue headband around the boy's head with steel blue claws, white wings floating behind his back. In one hand was a silver metal blade, the Yukihira, and in the other was a little present from Strayed. To be honest, he wasn't sure if the weapon would work with Byakushiki, but it was worth a try.

"Have faith in him." Strayed finally spoke up, smiling. "After all, he did force White Glint into his Phase Shift, didn't he?" Houki nodded, but she was still worried. She had every right to be. After all, this was an opponent that was considered to be a Representative Candidate, and even more than that, she had much more experience with an IS than Ichika did. "This is one fight..." the second male in the school said slowly, his eye focused solely on Ichika. "Where Ichika has to make a decision."

Houki frowned, recognizing that look on the face of an older Orimura sibling. "A... decision?"

"The decision to be prepared to fight as if you're very life was on the line." Strayed answered her. "In this world, there's only one rule: the only ones who should shoot... are the ones willing to risk to be shot."

(With Ichika)

* * *

Ichika gulped nervously as Byakushiki followed in sync with his thoughts, emerging from the hangar with Yukihira in one hand, and the laser blade he got from Strayed. Normally, if what he read was true, the weapons could only be used by the IS it was equipped with, but he did remember reading something about the IS pilot removing the system lock on it.

He was just hoping it would work against Cecile. "You know, it isn't too late for you to give up!" the blonde woman shouted, leering down at him from above. Ichika simply gave a hmph in response, swiping Yukihira in front of him and allowing the laser blade to emerge. "Funny!" he shot back with a smirk. "I could say the same to you!"

Cecile glared and aimed her rifle at him. Ichika felt a bead of sweat roll down his face as he watched the world pass by in slow motion, the trigger being pulled back. Behind her was the phantom image of White Glint, it's assault rifles at him.

Once reality came back at full speed, Ichika was already moving, the green stream flowing past his face and smashing into the ground, kicking up dust in the process. Cecile was caught off guard, but quickly regained her composure when she saw Ichika speeding toward her. _'If I get hit by that laser blade...!'_ she thought in an internal panic, firing round after round. No matter how many shots she fired, however, Ichika was outmaneuvering her every attack.

Before she realized it, he was already in front of her. "Wha-?!"

"Here!" Ichika shouted as he pulled his arm back and swung with all of his might. "EAT! THIS!"

The laser blade collided with Cecile's stomach, and saliva shot out of her mouth once her body went falling down to the Earth in full force. The ground shook from the impact, and smoke covered the entire arena below him. Needless to say, everyone was stunned, even Ichika. He looked at the laser blade, then down at the ground, and then back at the blade. "...What the hell were you thinking when you gave this to me, Strayed?!"

* * *

(IS Academy, Control Room)

Maya's eyes widened, the screen showing signs of damage to Cecile's IS. "U-unbelievable..." she stuttered out, staring at the screen in shock. "Her Shield Energy went down from 600 to 450... Just how powerful is White Glint's arsenal?"

Chifuyu said nothing, and continued to watch the battle. However, she would be lying slightly if she said she wasn't hoping Strayed was fighting the girl. Her snobby attitude would cause friction between her and future teammates if she was ever forced into a co-op operation that required her to work with others. Strayed seemed to understand this tactic alongside Houki and Ichika. Perhaps her idiot brother could knock some sense into her, though Strayed would do a lot better at it then Ichika could.

'_Had this been a battle with White Glint,'_ she thought, already imaging the sort of destruction White Glint would create if ever placed on the battlefield. _'Alcott would have lost with that first strike.'_

* * *

(IS Hangar Bay)

_**WHACK!**_

"Ow..."

"What in the hell were you thinking when you gave Ichika that thing?!" Houki screamed at him, holding her trembling fist while Strayed, looking completely unfazed, rubbed the rather large bump on his cranium. "He could have killed Alcott with that attack!"

"But he didn't." Strayed pointed out. "The Particle Accelerator Laser Blade does do lethal damage, but only to non-organic objects. In other words, Blue Tears suffered the damage, not Cecile Alcott."

Houki bit her lower lip, still slightly angry with him. "Even still..."

"Relax." the second male at the school told her with a slight smile. "Ichika wouldn't have been able to kill her, even if he tried. After all... his heart really isn't set on winning this fight anyway."

(With Ichika)

* * *

"So..." Ichika tilted his head, looking down at the dust cloud that had yet to leave the ground. "Did I win?"

His answer came in the form of two ballistic missiles. Immediately, he scowled and broke into a burst of speed, evading the missiles with zigzag motions before he found one of them near his foot. He stopped and lifted his feet high in the air, the missile flying below him and exploding into the plasma membrane barrier around the arena. He looked up to see the second missile heading straight for him in a nose-dive. "Shit!" Ichika cursed under his breath and immediately went back into moving around.

However, his attention was focused on the missile. He didn't expect a blast from below to strike him in the stomach. "Gah!" The IS was forced to stop for a moment, leaving the missile a stationary target. The moment the red tip touched one of Byakushiki's wings, a dark explosion erupted all over. The crowd's eyes widened, fearful for Ichika's well being while Cecile smirked. "That was payback for earlier..."

Once the smoke cleared, it revealed Ichika, slightly burnt from the attack, coughing up black smoke before wiping the ash from his eyes. "Damn, I can't believe I forgot about her..." He looked down at Cecile, except at her side were four slim blue daggers. "No... those aren't daggers..." Ichika's eyes widened when they shot forward, straight at him. "They're..."

(IS Hangar Bay)

* * *

Houki's eyes widened fearfully. "Those are bits! ICHIKA!"

Strayed scowled. "So, I was right... Blue Tears is a full-on long-range type, specializing in taking down single targets with anything remotely relying on distance than anything else. Although..."

* * *

(Control Room)

"That in itself is an advantage." Chifuyu finished as she saw Ichika dodge two beam strikes from the bits and evaded a third from the left, forcing him to go higher up. "Because the bits are reliant on movement, they can only move when Alcott commands them to. This leaves her unable to move. After all, it's quite difficult to command and shoot at the same time. Multi-tasking is rather hard that way."

Maya looked worried as she turned to her co-worker. "Do you think Orimura will be alright?" she asked, only to receive a confident grin. "Of course. After all, his training with Strayed helped increase his proficiency with his IS, and the weapon he gave him already earned him a head start. I say... three minutes until Alcott loses."

* * *

(IS Arena, with Ichika)

'_Left, down, up, up, right, down, left, down, up!'_

Ichika evaded several attacks from the bits, keeping a close eye on Cecile's movements. She remained on the ground, her scope locked solely on him. Her eyes would watch him intently, never leaving him, no matter how fast he went. It only took Ichika about a minute to realize the greatest flaw in Blue Tears. _'She can't move so long as she's controlling her bits!'_ he smirked, evading another two blasts from the turrets before he dashed in, taking a hit to his shoulder, and swiping Strayed's later blade at them. They were both reduced to nothingness in a form of smoke. He quickly ducked under another attack, evading more attacks before he quickly dashed around, moving in a half-circle pattern before he reached the highest altitude. "This should be good enough..."

Ichika looked at Yukihira, and his fist's clenched around it tightly. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, and listened.

'_Ten... nine... eight...'_

* * *

(IS Hangar Bay)

"Seven..." Strayed counted down, earning a confused look from Houki. "Six... five..."

* * *

(Control Room)

"Four... three..." Chifuyu developed a smirk once the bits closed in on him, ready to deliver a world of pain unto him. "Two..."

* * *

(IS Arena, with Ichika)

Ichika's eyes snapped open, and the instant they did, the bits opened fire.

"ONE!"

The bits hit nothing but thin air. Cecile's eyes went impossibly wide in shock, unable to believe what she had just seen. "What?! Where did he go?!" she screamed, looking around frantically before she felt a giant gust of wind blow up against her, nearly knocking her over. She shut her eyes closed, unable to take the wind blowing in her face before she opened them again, and to her surprise, there stood Ichika Orimura. However...

"No... you mean that, all this time, you were-?!"

"Damn straight!" Ichika shouted, Yukihira's steel form now a blazing twin to the laser blade that was gone. "I was using the Default Setting through the whole thing! It took me a while to realize it, but there's one flaw to controlling your missiles and bits! So long as they're moving, you can't either! You have to stay in one spot!"

"T-that doesn't matter!" Cecile shook her head, glaring fiercely at him. At this range, a sure-fire hit and lots of damage would be assured if...

Her face paled when she saw that her rifle, which was as long as she was, had been cut in half, no longer able to be used. "H-how..."

"That's Yukihira's One-Off Ability!" Ichika grinned as he placed himself into one final stance. "The Shield Disabling Ability, at the cost of some of my own Shield Energy, lets me deal damage to your machine, as well as you're shield!"

* * *

(IS Hangar Bay)

"That's... brilliant!" Houki exclaimed, smiling brightly as she clasped her hands together. "That's why he was using the Default Setting through the battle until now! You use up less energy while the DS is active!"

Strayed nodding, pleased with the outcome. "Yukihira's attack is quite powerful in it's own right, but it takes time to prepare, and with the Ignition Boost gives the additional speed to make the attack connect. That's why Ichika waited until the right moment. Have to say, Byakushiki certainly helped Orimura-sensei earn her reputation as "Brunhilde". I, for one, am definitely glad that Ichika is using it now."

* * *

(Control Room)

"Strayed's laser blade cut down Alcott's Shield Energy by 200 points." Maya said in awe. "The Shield Disabling Ability dealt the same amount of damage, leaving her with only 250 points left!"

"Wow, for once, he didn't screw up." Chifuyu nodded in approval of her screw-up of a brother. "Nicely done... Ichika."

* * *

(IS Arena)

Cecile didn't even have the chance to retaliate as Ichika brought Yukihira down upon her, the blade slamming down into her shoulder. She hissed in pain as the metal was torn off, paint peeling, and her left wing sparking in electricity. "That was for insulting my sister, and everyone in school!" Ichika snarled as he reared his free hand back.

Cecile paled. _'Oh, no, please don't tell me he's going to-!'_

"AND THIS IS FROM ME!"

The last thing Cecile saw was Ichika's metal hand colliding her face.

The very last thing she heard before unconsciousness took her away was, "Winner! Ichika Orimura!"

_End of Phase 4_

**Girl 1: **Wow! Orimura was sooooo cooool!

**Girl 2:** Oh my, I think I'm in love!

**Girl 3:** I wonder if Strayed is that handsome while he's in a fight!

**Girl 2:** Well, don't look now, because there's word that we're having a transfer student from China!

**Girl 1 &amp; 3: **Whaaaaaat?!

**All: **Next Time, on Infinite Stratos: For Answer!

**Girl 3:** Phase 5: Memories and Morality!

**Girl 1:** Hmhmhm~ Stay tuned!

_**Well, I hope this was to everyone's liking. Personally, I thought the fact that Ichika lost to Cecile because his Shield Energy got depleted without fully understanding his One-Off was stupid, so I changed things up. Also, the voting for Strayed's harem will end when Chapter 5 is posted. So far, Charlotte, Laura, and Chifuyu are in the lead! Be warned that if two girls get the same votes, it'll be a three-way. Also, someone pointed something out to me, so Rin will be excluded from the list.**_

_**In other words, Ichika's harem is now: Houki, Cecile, and Rin.**_

_**As a sort of teaser, Raven Ichika, as well as our Armored Core version of Haseo, will be making their appearance a few days after Laura's IS goes AWOL. Anyway, my next update will be on Fractured Reality. That is all. Like, Follow, Favorite, Review, the usual!**_

_**Laters!**_


End file.
